Tiger's Eye
by Higuchimon
Summary: [7/7 drabbles, drabbleday LJ challenge, complete, Taniya x Misawa/Misawa x Taniya, Tigershipping] Taniya and Misawa had a long, rocky road to follow to get to where they were going. But it was worth everything in the end.
1. Better Not Asked

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters or situations involved in this fanfic, and am not making any profit whatsoever off of it.  
**Story Title:** Tiger's Eye  
**Chapter Title:** Better Not Asked  
**Characters:** Misawa Daichi, Taniya  
**Romance:** Misawa x Taniya  
**Story Word Count:** 300  
**Chapter Word Count:** 300  
**LJ Challenge:** This was written for the drabbleday challenge on Livejournal, using the prompt of 'proposal'.  
**Timeline:** Somewhat after the end of season 4.  
**Notes:** There will be implied sex in this, but nothing very graphic, certainly not enough to warrant an M rating in my opinion.  
**Summary:** Misawa's had a question on his mind. But not the answer.

* * *

Being Amazons, marriage weren't exactly ceremonies that Taniya's people were very well versed on. For one thing, there weren't that many men in the village, and the women were less interested in them. They were strong, as people, Duel Monsters or humans, had to be in order to survive out here. But they were ordinary, for the most part, blending in as their worth was known and measured.

Misawa was different. Not only was he from another world altogether, but he was far and away the smartest person that any of them had ever met. He was strong as well, in a way that not all of the men there were. Not only could he yank a deeply rooted tree stump out of the ground, but he was a superb duelist as well. It was rumored that only Taniya of the village duelists could beat him.

With those facts to his credit, it was not surprising that the two of them were together. The thought of having some kind of a formal ceremony crossed Misawa's mind more than once.

"Would you if I asked?" Chores were usually divided between them, and he had found he was not only good at washing dishes, but he liked to do it.

Taniya wasn't in the room, but she didn't need to be to hear him. Their home wasn't that large, and she had excellent hearing, after all. "Why would you ask?" she replied simply. "What would change?"

To be honest, Misawa hadn't given it much thought beyond the initial question. Taniya had used the terms when they'd first met, but now, they really didn't seem that important. He'd thought about asking, not what about the answer would mean. They were already together in every way that counted. He smiled.

"Nothing. Forget about it."

**To Be Continued**


	2. Natural Appreciation

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters or situations involved in this fanfic, and am not making any profit whatsoever off of it.  
**Story Title:** Tiger's Eye  
**Chapter Title:** Natural Appreciation  
**Characters:** Misawa Daichi, Taniya  
**Romance:** Misawa x Taniya  
**Story Word Count:** 600  
**Chapter Word Count:** 300  
**LJ Challenge:** This was written for the drabbleday challenge on Livejournal, using the prompt of 'proposal'.  
**Timeline:** Somewhat after the end of season 4.  
**Notes:** There will be implied sex in this, but nothing very graphic, certainly not enough to warrant an M rating in my opinion.  
**Summary:** Since leaving Earth, Misawa has gained a whole new appreciation for the forces of nature.

* * *

Normally Misawa stayed around the village, unless Taniya needed him for something when she went out hunting. There had also been times when she asked him to come along just for the pleasure of his company, like now.

Not that they weren't busy, of course. Just in a different sense than most people might have thought. The grass beneath his back was thick, deep green, and soft as satin. He could scarcely even feel the earth it grew from which made it quite different from meadows on Earth.

Granted, he didn't have that much experience with the natural world of Earth. He had usually stayed indoors, keeping himself healthy by means of sports and careful eating. Only after he had fallen into the world of sand had he really begun to appreciate nature, as something that could kill him if he wasn't careful and might even if he was.

Nature had another aspect when he was with Taniya. Not only was it where they lived and made their living, but because it was all around them. He missed some of the technology that he'd left behind, but on the whole, he was satisfied with life the way that it was.

Especially since Taniya's lips were currently nipping down the side of his neck as her hands were going over his chest and her knees pressed against his. He reached up and unfastened the ties that held her hair back, and shivered as the long strands caressed against her bare skin. He'd pulled it more than once while they'd been involved, but neither cared that much. If he could stand the bruises, scratches, and everything else that he ended up with, she could deal with her hair being tugged out and getting in their mouths.

After all, it was just natural.

**To Be Continued**


	3. Warrior's Choice

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters or situations involved in this fanfic, and am not making any profit whatsoever off of it.  
**Story Title:** Tiger's Eye  
**Chapter Title:** Warrior's Choice  
**Characters:** Misawa Daichi, Taniya  
**Romance:** Misawa x Taniya  
**Story Word Count:** 900  
**Chapter Word Count:** 300  
**LJ Challenge:** This was written for the drabbleday challenge on Livejournal, using the prompt of 'proposal'.  
**Timeline:** Somewhat after the end of season 4.  
**Notes:** There will be implied sex in this, but nothing very graphic, certainly not enough to warrant an M rating in my opinion.  
**Summary:** What is it that Taniya wants out of a guy?

* * *

Taniya's choice for who to duel had not been made by sheer chance, no matter what it might have looked like to the spirit key keepers. She'd known exactly who she wanted from the start, and it had all been thanks to Camula.

The two women of the Seven Stars had been close to being friends. To be truthful, little had barred them from _being_ friends. Except, of course, that Camula was now dead. But before that, they had spoken to one another frequently, and even went on trips through the human world, searching for that elusive creature, the perfectly qualified human male.

Camula had believed that she'd found what she wanted in the human known as the Kaiser. Taniya's taste ran towards someone different: the one clad in yellow, known as Misawa Daichi. He'd been bowled over by her from the first moment, and she knew that she had the duel won already. A few little girl antics and a cute nickname, and he'd fallen like a ton of bricks.

There were many factors that attracted her to him, beyond his rugged attractiveness and an obvious intellect. The fact he was utterly inexperienced and in some ways innocent was quite interesting. She had never met someone who tried to pretend to be above romance and so sophisticated, and who went to pieces in nothing flat when she'd smiled so warmly at him.

That wasn't all, either. He was strong, much stronger now than he'd been when they'd first met. She wanted a mate who was her equal, her partner, as strong in dueling, muscle, and mind as she was. Those were few and far between, and fewer who could or would return her love. Heart, mind, body, and soul.

Misawa Daichi alone qualified. She was glad they'd met again.

**To Be Continued**


	4. Nowhere To Go But Up

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters or situations involved in this fanfic, and am not making any profit whatsoever off of it.  
**Story Title:** Tiger's Eye  
**Chapter Title:** Nowhere to Go But Up  
**Characters:** Misawa Daichi, Taniya  
**Romance:** Misawa x Taniya  
**Story Word Count:** 1200  
**Chapter Word Count:** 300  
**LJ Challenge:** This was written for the drabbleday challenge on Livejournal, using the prompt of 'inadequate'.  
**Timeline:** This one is set somewhat during the last episodes of GX.  
**Notes:** There will be implied sex in this, but nothing very graphic, certainly not enough to warrant an M rating in my opinion.  
**Summary:** Misawa has been rejected. This is not something he's used to.

* * *

Misawa could not wrap his brain around this concept: he wasn't good enough for Taniya. How could this be? He was _always_ good enough. He wasn't _perfect_, he knew that much, but he was always the cream of the crop, the top of the heap. If he wasn't the best, then he was second and rising fast. Wasn't that _why_ he and Juudai had called each other Number One and Number Two?

But now, somehow, that was all over and it was because of a woman. More than a woman. An Amazon. Taniya.

Who had decreed that despite all that he had done and all that she had said, that he was not her chosen husband after all. After the night of sex and dueling, the news had almost literally broken his mind.

He could scarcely think for days after that duel. Seeing Juudai win had helped him to recover, though not because of seeing her lose. He wasn't really sure of why, only that it _had_ helped. That was good enough.

Still and all, something was different after that. The feeling of rejection ate into him. A couple of girls tried to approach him, but he avoided them. They weren't Taniya. Even though she'd rejected him, his heart was still hers. Wherever she was, that was where he wanted to be.

But since he couldn't be, he buried himself in other activities. It wasn't as if there wasn't enough to keep his mind occupied . Studies. The end of the Seven Stars. Kagemaru. And yet, all the while, there was that nagging feeling that he was lost, forgotten, neglected, rejected. He wasn't, but the feeling was there regardless.

He swore that he would find his way to the top again, and surely at the top, he'd see Taniya again.

**To Be Continued**


	5. A Minor Indiscretion

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters or situations involved in this fanfic, and am not making any profit whatsoever off of it.  
**Story Title:** Tiger's Eye  
**Chapter Title:** A Minor Indiscretion  
**Characters:** Misawa Daichi, Taniya  
**Romance:** Misawa x Taniya  
**Story Word Count:** 1500  
**Chapter Word Count:** 300  
**LJ Challenge:** This was written for the drabbleday challenge on Livejournal, using the prompt of 'decadence'.  
**Timeline:** This one is set somewhere between seasons two and three, before the Sand World arc.  
**Notes:** There will be implied sex in this, but nothing very graphic, certainly not enough to warrant an M rating in my opinion.  
**Summary:** A little stopover leads Misawa to a few thoughts about Taniya. And someone else wants to take advantage of those thoughts.

* * *

Misawa had forgotten just how long he had been wandering in these different worlds. Long enough that he had a growth of beard and he'd had to hunt down new clothes and supplies. Long enough so that relaxing in this lovely mansion was something that he was enjoying to the hilt.

"Is there something that I can do for you?" a soft voice asked. He glanced up to see Amazoness Paladin near him. She'd been quite solicitous since his arrival.

"This is perfect, thank you," he hesitated a moment, then asked. "I was wondering, do you happen to know an Amazon named Taniya?"

She considered, then shook her head a bit. "No, I don't. Is she a friend of yours?"

A friend. Was that what she was? He wasn't sure, and the description that did want to come, inspired by the soft bed he sat on and the exquisite meal he'd had earlier, went far beyond 'friend'. "Sort of. We…she beat me in a duel once."

"I see." The Paladin smiled a bit slyly and leaned forward. Misawa froze as she ran her fingers through his hair, just as Taniya had done that night. "My name is Gema, by the way. So, I presume that you're her husband?"

He wasn't quite able to answer. Her hands were doing things to him that were far too distracting. He kind of nodded, kind of shook his head. What was he? Other than wishing it was Taniya here instead of Gema. Wondering where his shirt had went. Why his pants were suddenly wide open. How in the world had he ended up flat on his back on the bed, with Gema on top of him, smiling sultrily at him.

"Let's see what she taught you," she whispered, and Misawa could only nod helplessly.

**To Be Continued**


	6. Counting On You

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters or situations involved in this fanfic, and am not making any profit whatsoever off of it.  
**Story Title:** Tiger's Eye  
**Chapter Title:** Counting On You  
**Characters:** Misawa Daichi, Taniya  
**Romance:** Misawa x Taniya  
**Story Word Count:** 1800  
**Chapter Word Count:** 300  
**LJ Challenge:** This was written for the drabbleday challenge on Livejournal, using the prompt of 'reliable'.  
**Timeline:** This one is set somewhere after season four.  
**Notes:** There will be implied sex in this, but nothing very graphic, certainly not enough to warrant an M rating in my opinion.  
**Summary:** Misawa knows that he can rely on Taniya to always come home safely.

* * *

If there was one fact that Misawa could be certain of (and there were actually several, this was just one of the most important ones in his opinion), it was that he could rely on Taniya. He also liked to believe, and he knew it was true deep inside, that she could rely on him.

She was honest and honorable, true and faithful to her given word. Frequently she was faithful only to her implied word. It was those qualities, among others, that had truly led him to fall for her all of those years ago. She had overwhelmed him at the age of fifteen. Now, at the age of twenty-seven, he was even more in love than ever.

What else could he be, when everything had went so well? Granted, what he'd thought he wanted at fifteen wasn't what he'd ended up getting, but it wasn't as if that were unusual. He wouldn't have traded his life for being the World Pro League Champion for so much as a minute.

There was one little amenity of the human world that he would have enjoyed having right now: a cell phone. Taniya had been gone on her hunting trip for four days, and he was worried. He knew that she could take care of herself, but it was a part of his job to be worried about her. The weather might turn bad soon, and where she had went, it might already have.

He refused to hover by the door. Instead, he went back to work on the latest modifications to the transport device. He kept his ears open, however, and when she stepped in, almost invisible behind a pile of furs and skins, he smiled.

"I knew I could count on you to get back here safely." He had.

**To Be Continued**


	7. Happy Ending

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters or situations involved in this fanfic, and am not making any profit whatsoever off of it.  
**Story Title:** Tiger's Eye  
**Chapter Title:** Happy Ending  
**Characters:** Misawa Daichi, Taniya  
**Romance:** Misawa x Taniya  
**Story Word Count:** 2100  
**Chapter Word Count:** 300  
**LJ Challenge:** This was written for the drabbleday challenge on Livejournal, using the prompt of 'price'.  
**Timeline:** This one is set somewhere after season four.  
**Notes:** There will be implied sex in this, but nothing very graphic, certainly not enough to warrant an M rating in my opinion.  
**Summary:** The price to pay can be high...but worth it.

* * *

It wasn't always perfect, living here in the worlds of Duel Monsters. Running water existed, depending on where one lived. There were several places that came quite close to being 'modern' by Misawa's standards. Any place where Machine-Type monsters ran things tended to have a high level of sophistication where tech was concerned.

Spellcasters and fairies, and sometimes fiends, frequently used magic to supply their needs. Zombies seldom had needs and he kept meaning to find out how they got what they _did_ need, but he just never seemed to get around to it.

Where he and Taniya lived was a deeply forested realm, encircled by high mountains on one side and with a deep, vast ocean on the other. The climate was all but perfect, and the woods and mountains filled with the game that Taniya hunted for their own livelihood and supplies.

He wasn't actually deprived of the comforts and conveniences of the world he'd been born in. Travel back and forth had grown easier as he and Professor Zweinstein had re-established contact and had been able to refine the methods used. But more and more, he preferred this world.

Because when it got right down to it, this world had everything that he had ever wanted. He and Taniya had each other. He was appreciated for the _real_ work that he did. He wasn't trying to be someone that he couldn't or wouldn't be anymore. This world had given him what he'd thought he would never have: a home.

There was always the chance that something would happen to seal the worlds away from each other. If that ever happened and Misawa never saw the world of his birth again, he felt it was a small price to pay to be here, where he was truly happy.

**The End**


End file.
